MAINE-LY GARDENING: Gifts for gardeners

by Jude Hsiang

If you’re thinking about a gift for a gardener, there are so many possibilities. The cost could be quite manageable – after all, gardeners like to watch things grow rather than just accumulate stuff – or run into an astonishing amount of money. The best gifts might cost nothing but some of your precious time and a little labor.

If you know the gardener well – perhaps they are sitting next to you as you read this – you probably know what they’d really love. Do they have a wish list? Have they been dropping hints?

Gardeners often want things that don’t seem very special to the non gardener. While some folks would love a silk blouse or bottle of their favorite spirit, a gardener might be thrilled with a new pair of thorn-proof gloves.

Some years ago I was part of a work party of Master Gardeners building a school garden. We all admired the shiny new wheelbarrow one gal unloaded from her pickup. “It was a birthday gift from my husband,” she said with pride. The conversation continued. One man treasured the pruners his kids had given him for Christmas years ago. My favorite was the spading fork that I didn’t realize I needed until it appeared under the Christmas tree. It still gets a lot of use 40 years later. Everyone loved the story of a friend’s special gift. The family was doing some yard work and she was grumbling about the Japanese knotweed that was encroaching on the driveway. Her husband said he needed to go to the hardware store for more deck nails. She was surprised and delighted when he returned with the nails and a gift – her very own machete. The reaction at the store clerk when a customer asked for a machete for his wife became part of family lore.

Sometimes the gift of time is the most memorable. One morning my grandmother was surprised to look out her kitchen window to see my dad constructing the small rock garden she’d always imagined. It was a busy time of year for him which made the gift all the more precious. We grandchildren were invited to “help” even though at our ages our assistance must have slowed the job considerably.

Some folks think that a gift certificate is a little impersonal, but most gardeners would love and enjoy picking out just the right plant, seeds, or tool. Avoid the risk of giving a plant that won’t do well in their yard or just isn’t their taste. I remember when a relative received a plant which I immediately recognized as just about the last plant on earth he’d ever put in his garden. We eventually found a spot where it could be seen by the folks who’d given it without spoiling his own plan.

If planning a day trip or weekend mini vacation might please your favorite gardener, think about a visit to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, in Boothbay. It’s loaded with inspiration and educational information as well as beauty. Or think about a few days in the Boston area with time at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, in Boylston, the Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, and the wonderful Glass Flower collection, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, which will also amaze non-gardeners with its technical skill and scientific accuracy.

Maybe a small houseplant and a big “Thank You!” for all of the tomatoes and beauty the gardener has given you is the perfect way to show your appreciation. Happy holidays!

© Judith Chute Hsiang
Jude Hsiang is a retired Extension Master Gardener instructor and member of the China Community Garden.